Father getting worse

imaditter1984

I have an 82 year old father who is diagnosed. He has recently undergone chemo and radiation. He has gotten increasingly delusional and agitated. We have been associating it with the drugs. But he is so angry and lost. He cannot have a conversation now and is extremely abusive about things that do not exist. Is this normal or a sign He is becoming a danger to himself or others,?

SDianeL

Welcome. Sorry about your Dad’s diagnosis and cancer. Anesthesia, surgery or chemo can cause dementia to worsen. It may be temporary and he may return to his previous baseline or he may not. No way to know. Normal progression also causes anxiety, agitation, aggression, hallucinations and delusions in later stages. Talk to his doctor about his behaviors and ask for anti-anxiety medications. He may be more of a danger to others but also could be to himself. Have you read the book “The 36 Hour Day” yet? It explains the disease and gives caregiving tips. 2 things I learned here: don’t argue with a PWD. And “you can’t reason with someone whose reasoner is broken”

towhee

Any illness, even minor ones, can cause temporary worsening of dementia. Relatively common medications like Benadryl, the same. Chemo drugs, quite probably. Talk to his doctors. As to whether he is a danger, is he being physical? Again, talk to the doctors. And in the meantime remove any sharp or otherwise possibly harmful objects from his vicinity.